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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLIV. No. 1144 



the distribution of these arts the same search- 

 ing technique is perceptible and the complete 

 reconstruction of the historic event which Dr. 

 Goldenweiser justly demands is already forth- 

 coming. Especially is it to be observed that 

 this is the case in the assertion of independent 

 development in Egypt of both these practises, 

 a proof, the possibility of which Dr. Golden- 

 weiser apparently denies. But indeed if, as 

 on Dr. Goldenweiser's own statement, all the 

 proof that we have is in favor of diffusion, may 

 we not at least with equal right transpose one 

 of his sentences and say, " In all cashes diffusion 

 must be assumed until independent develop- 

 ment is proved or, at least, made overwhelm- 

 ingly probable " ? 



If such striking similarities, parallelisms, 

 convergences in the working of the human 

 mind really do occur, why, in the words of Mr. 

 Means, should there be no such thing as a 

 wheeled vehicle in all pre-Columbian America? 

 Mr. Means's difficulties over wheels and ships 

 are precisely those which the supporters of 

 independent development should hasten to ex- 

 plain. As a matter of fact, as most recently 

 Dr. Rivers has demonstrated, it is the useful 

 art which frequently is lost in the spread of 

 culture. The human mind is not the logically 

 working instrument, leaping at once to full 

 conception of the connection between cause 

 and effect, between possibility and use, which 

 we are invited to assume. In the geographical 

 distribution of culture whatever has been 

 merely useful tends to disappear; whatever is 

 bound to the consciousness of the individual 

 through some link of superstition or religion 

 tends to be retained, though its significance 

 may be misunderstood or indeed even reversed. 



It is true, as Mr. Means hints, that so far no 

 comprehensive and detailed analysis has been 

 made of the physical anthropology of the 

 American peoples comparable with that under- 

 taken by Professor Elliot Smith and his asso- 

 ciates upon the ancient Egyptians. It is to be 

 hoped that we may be able to make the lack 

 good in time. But the impress left upon the 

 features and the impetus given to the arts and 

 crafts alike of the ancient Egyptians by the 

 immigration of alien peoples leads me to sus- 



pect that in the bodies of the pre-Columbian 

 Americans themselves we may ultimately find 

 the corroborative evidence of whence Amer- 

 ican culture came. It may well be that by 

 this method we shall find the arrows in Dr. 

 Elliot Smith's figure correctly placed. But 

 even if, as in fact Professor Elliot Smith be- 

 lieves, inherent difficulties in the work will 

 prevent physical anthropological studies in 

 America from bearing the conclusive results 

 obtained from similar researches in Egypt, the 

 case for diffusion, contrary to Mr. Means's 

 conception, is not thereby weakened. In the 

 sturdy nature of its composition the culture- 

 complex is amply strong enough to stand by 

 itself and the possibility that some avenues 

 of approach are closed to us does not neces- 

 sarily prevent our arrival at definite conclu- 

 sions along those which are plainly open. 

 Critical ethnologists will, I am sure, judge 

 from the facts themselves. 



In conclusion, like one of your contributors, 

 I await with impatience a further monograph 

 from Professor Elliot Smith's fascinating and 

 compelling pen; a monograph which I hear 

 from other sources is to be entitled " The 

 Ancient Mariners." 



T. Wing ate Todd 



Anatomical Laboratory, 



Western Eeserve University, 

 Cleveland, O. 



MOSQUITOES AND MAN AGAIN 



Without continuing the discussion further 

 than the limits of this paper, it seems advisable 

 to state once more the contention made in my 

 paper "Mosquitoes and Man" 1 for Mr. Jen- 

 nings in his rather elaborate and erudite criti- 

 cism 2 of it misses the whole point so com- 

 pletely as to be definitely surprising and almost 

 amusing. 



The point was not the " association " of 

 mosquitoes with man, but that the malarial 

 mosquito followed man, and while following 

 man is included in the association with man, 

 it is nevertheless a specific point and worthy 

 of some attention. 



i Science, June 2, 1916. 

 2 Science, August 11, 1916. 



